Tustin's Panel & Paint is a third-generation family business that has been looking after Wellington drivers since 1953. Operating from Marsden Village in Karori, the workshop serves the city's Western and Northern suburbs — including Karori, Northland, Wilton, Kelburn, Wadestown, Brooklyn, Ngaio and Khandallah — and has grown into one of Wellington's busiest accident repairers, a reputation the team puts down to a considerable emphasis on customer service.
The shop covers the full collision repair journey: panel beating and accident repair, spray painting, and the insurance process in between. Panel work is approved by the major insurance companies, and Tustin's is a repairer that most of New Zealand's insurers are happy to refer work to through their preferred repairer networks — including AA Insurance, State, AMI, Vero, Tower, Lumley, IAG and MAS. All paperwork associated with insurance claims is handled on customers' behalf, with quotes submitted directly to the insurer for authorisation.
Quality assurance sits behind the work: Tustin's is a member of the Collision Repair Association, technicians are I-CAR and MITO certified, and a 3D measuring system keeps panel repairs within the tolerances recommended by car manufacturers. Spray painting uses state-of-the-art computerised paint matching technology with Resene Automotive paints and coatings, followed by polishing, buffing and a final inspection so every car leaves looking like new.
Practical touches make the process easier. Cars can be dropped off for a stress-free assessment under cover at the front door, two dedicated assessment areas and a customer reception mean you never need to go near the busy workshop, most repairs are completed within only three working days, and every car is returned with a free professional valet inside and out.
For more than seventy years, Tustin's Panel & Paint has been the place Wellington drivers bring their cars when things go wrong. Established in 1953 and now in its third generation of family ownership, the Karori workshop has grown into one of Wellington's busiest accident repairers — a position the team puts down to a considerable emphasis on customer service, and to the quality of the work that leaves the shop.
From Marsden Village, Tustin's serves the Western and Northern suburbs of Wellington, including Karori, Northland, Wilton, Kelburn, Wadestown, Brooklyn, Ngaio and Khandallah. Just four kilometres from the CBD, with free off-road parking and a bus stop right outside the door, it's an easy stop for drivers right across the hill suburbs.
Panel and accident repair is the heart of the business. The goal is simple: your car restored to its pre-accident condition with the minimum of inconvenience and fuss. Behind that promise sits some serious equipment — a 3D measuring system ensures repairs are carried out within the tolerances specified by the car manufacturers, so structural and panel work is done properly, not just made to look right.
The team's credentials back this up. Tustin's technicians are I-CAR and MITO certified, and the business is a member of the Collision Repair Association, drawing on the association's I-CAR training courses to keep skills current. It's expertise the insurance industry has noticed: Tustin's panel work is approved by the major insurance companies.
The spray shop handles everything from chips and scratches to dents and completely new panels. State-of-the-art computerised paint matching technology means every car leaves the premises with a perfect paint match — whether it's a scuffed bumper or a full respray after a collision. The team uses Resene Automotive paints and coatings, then polishes and buffs each job before a final inspection and clean, so your car looks like new. As they put it themselves, they stake their reputation on the quality of their work.
Accident repairs are stressful enough without the admin. Tustin's has structured its process to remove as much of that as possible. After an accident, you make contact and bring the car in for a full assessment — dropped off under cover right at the front door. The team submits the quote directly to your insurance company, and once repairs are authorised, parts are ordered and an ETA is advised. When the parts arrive, your car is booked in and the repairs are carried out.
That insurance relationship works both ways. Most New Zealand insurers run preferred repairer networks, and Tustin's is one of the repairers these companies are happy to refer work to — among them AA Insurance, State, AMI, Vero, Tower, Lumley, IAG, MAS and the major banks' schemes. All paperwork associated with insurance claims is taken care of on your behalf.
The workshop itself has been set up with customers in mind. There are two dedicated assessment areas and a customer reception at the front of the shop, so there's no need to go anywhere near the busy workshop floor. Most repairs are completed within only three working days, and every car is returned with a free professional vehicle valet, inside and out. If you need to keep moving while your car is in the shop, Tustin's may also be able to offer a free vehicle pick-up and delivery service, or a courtesy car.
You'll find Tustin's at the top of the hill on the north side of Marsden Village, Karori — look for the covered drop-off at the front door. Buses to and from the city run every ten minutes during peak times, so leaving the car behind doesn't have to cost you a day.
Whether it's a parking dent, a scratched panel or a full insurance repair, the pitch is the same one that has kept the business busy since 1953: quality work, a clear process, and a car returned looking like the accident never happened.